- What you need before you start
- Logging in, step by step
- When the code doesn't turn up
- Add a password and a passkey
- Changing your number without losing the account
- Lost or stolen phone: getting your account back
- Do you ever need to log out?
- How I'd set up a Telegram login for a business
- Frequently asked questions
You log in to Telegram with your mobile phone number and a one-time code. Telegram says the code usually comes by SMS, but if you've used Telegram on another device recently it may arrive as a message in the chat called Telegram (a verified profile with a blue check) on that device instead, so look there before you decide it hasn't been sent.
One fact sits under everything else on this page. Telegram says the phone number is the only way it identifies a user, and it doesn't collect anything else about you, so whoever has the number has the account. Logging in, staying logged in and getting back in after a lost phone all come down to that number.
What you need before you start
- A mobile number. Telegram says accounts can only be connected to a mobile number. Landline numbers aren't supported, as of Nov 2026.
- The number in international format. Telegram's FAQ spells it out as plus, then your country code, then your city or carrier code, then your number.
- Somewhere for the code to land. That's your SMS inbox, or the Telegram chat on another device where you're already logged in.
- Your password, if you set one. With 2-Step Verification on, the code alone won't get you in.
Each phone number is a separate Telegram account. Type in a number that's never been used on Telegram and you're starting a new account, not finding your old one. That's the usual reason someone logs in and sees an empty chat list.
Logging in, step by step
- Open any official Telegram app and enter your mobile number in international format.
- Look for the code. Check your SMS, and check the chat named Telegram on any other device where you're logged in. Telegram says this can even be a different Telegram app on the same device.
- Enter the code. Telegram says login codes should never be shared with anyone, including other services or apps.
- If you've switched on 2-Step Verification, enter your password as well.
- If you've already created a passkey, you can use that instead of an SMS code and confirm with your device PIN, fingerprint or face scan.
When the code doesn't turn up
Most code problems come from looking in the wrong place. Here's what Telegram's FAQ says for each situation.
| Situation | What Telegram says to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| No SMS, but you're logged in somewhere else | Check the chat named Telegram on that device; the code may be sent there instead of by SMS | Telegram FAQ, Troubleshooting |
| You asked for the code by phone call | Phone-call codes may be unavailable for some carriers, or may need 2-Step Verification switched on | Telegram FAQ, Troubleshooting |
| You entered a landline | Not supported; Telegram accounts can only use a mobile number | Telegram FAQ, Troubleshooting |
| The number isn't accepted | Enter it in international format, starting with your country code | Telegram FAQ, Troubleshooting |
| A code arrived in a chat called Verification Codes | That chat is for other services; if you didn't ask for it, tap it and choose Report | Telegram FAQ |
| Still stuck | Use Telegram's contact form for registration or login problems | Telegram FAQ, Troubleshooting |
The Verification Codes chat confuses a lot of people. Telegram lets other websites and apps send their login codes through Telegram, and those land in a chat called Verification Codes. Your own Telegram login codes never go there. They go to the verified chat named Telegram. If a code you didn't request appears in Verification Codes, Telegram says your account is safe; someone probably typed your number into another service by mistake.
Add a password and a passkey
Because the number is the account, the code alone is a thin lock. Telegram gives you two ways to thicken it.
2-Step Verification. Turn it on in Settings, then Privacy and Security, then 2-Step Verification. From then on you need both an SMS code and a password to log in. You can add a recovery email address to help you back in if you forget the password, and Telegram says that email account should have a strong password and 2-Step Verification of its own.
A passkey. Once you're logged in on a device, you can create a passkey so you get into Telegram the same way you get into that phone or computer: PIN, fingerprint or Face ID. Telegram says passkeys can be used instead of SMS, even when you're travelling or have no SMS service, and that they're more secure than SMS codes. You manage them in Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Passkeys, which shows when each one was created and last used. A password manager such as iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager can back a passkey up in case you lose the device.
Here's the catch Telegram points out itself: even with a passkey, you can still ask for an SMS code to log in. So the passkey doesn't replace a phone number you control. It sits on top of it.
Changing your number without losing the account
Telegram's warning here is stark. Getting codes inside Telegram isn't a substitute for an up-to-date number, and if your number changes and Telegram isn't connected to one you control, you risk losing access to your account forever.
- New number for good: go to Settings, tap your phone number (just above your username), then Change Number. Telegram says you keep your contacts, messages, media and Secret Chats on all devices.
- A different account already on the new number: you'll need to delete that account first.
- A temporary number on a trip: there's nothing to do.
- Two numbers you'll keep: you can create a second account on the other number. Telegram says one Telegram app can be logged in to several accounts at once, and you switch without logging out.
Don't leave an account idle either. Telegram says an account that doesn't come online for at least 18 months is deleted with all its messages, media and contacts. You can change that period in Settings, and deleting an account on purpose also needs a logged-in device, which I explain in how to delete a Telegram account.
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Lost or stolen phone: getting your account back
Telegram says it can't help unless you have either the phone number or Telegram open on another device. What to do depends on which you've still got.
- Still logged in on another device: turn on 2-Step Verification in Settings, then Privacy and Security, so the number alone can't get anyone in.
- From that device, go to Settings, then Devices (or Privacy and Security, then Active Sessions) and end the session on the lost phone.
- Ask your phone provider to block the old SIM and give you a new one on the same number.
- No other device logged in: contact your provider first, wait for the new SIM with your old number, log in, then end the session on the lost phone.
Do you ever need to log out?
Telegram says most users don't. You can be logged in on many devices at once with the same number. If you do want to: on iPhone it's Settings, then Edit, then Log out; on Android and Telegram Desktop it's Settings, then the three dots in the top right, then Log out. You keep your cloud messages, but you lose your Secret Chats and everything in them.
How I'd set up a Telegram login for a business
I'd treat the phone number as the master key, because Telegram says the number is the account. Put the business account on a mobile number the business controls, switch on 2-Step Verification and add a passkey on day one, and keep the recovery email locked down too. Skip the phone-call code unless SMS fails, and never forward a login code to anyone. If you'd rather people could reach you without seeing that number, sort out who can see your phone number on Telegram and set a Telegram username so they don't need it.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is Telegram not sending my login code?
Telegram says that if you've recently used Telegram on another device, the code may go to the chat named Telegram on that device instead of SMS. Check there, and make sure your number is in international format.
Can I log in to Telegram with a landline?
No. Telegram says accounts can only be connected to a mobile number and landline numbers aren't supported.
What is the Verification Codes chat on Telegram?
It's where other services send their codes through Telegram. Your own Telegram login codes go to the verified chat named Telegram.
Will I lose my chats if I log out of Telegram?
Telegram says you keep all your cloud messages when you log out, but you lose your Secret Chats and the messages in them.
Can I use two Telegram accounts in one app?
Yes. Each phone number is a separate account, and Telegram says you can log in to one Telegram app with several accounts at once and switch without logging out.
